My Lovely Garden … Mon Joli Jardin

No matter the language, my garden is my paradise. To watch the lovely birds that nest in the trees and bushes. The bees, butterflies are such a joy to see.

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I found myself cooking up a storm a few days ago, my inner chef emerged to take over the kitchen!

Thursday, October 25, 2010

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   I’ve done a lot of this and a little of that, during the past few days.   You know the kind of days that these are.  A little bit of housework.  Some reading.  Some walking.  A few exercise sessions (Callanetics by Callnan Pinckney)   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callan_Pinckney

I have the book and had the video, but gave that to my sister, as I know all of the exercises.  I loved her first video, but subsequent videos/dvd’s were just to spacey and new age for me.   The first time I saw her demonstrate her specific types of exercises was on a Johnny Carson show, many years ago.

She was very straightforward in her approach and the exercises were simple, no machines were needed.  You could exercise anywhere.  So I’ve started doing them again and can feel those muscles in my legs and tummy shouting … yea .. at last … so am slowly marching down the road to getting back into shape.  Already my posture is better, I carry myself taller, shoulders back.   Feels great.

Baby steps.

Anyway, yesterday and part of today was spent bundling up my containers of dried seaweed, to store them over the winter so I can use them from time to time.

And a few days ago I think that I called upon my Inner Chef because I found myself cooking up a storm!  Using recently purchased bags of eggplant and some special long green peppers!  I scoured the internet for recipes and soon was making a variety of foods.   Which included:  eggplant hamburgers, which called for peeling &  cutting up the eggplant into cubes, steaming, mixing with eggs, shaping into little patties, light dusting of flour and fry in the pan.

Next time I’ll mash the eggplant into more of a mush.  Good tasting.

Then there was the eggplant au gratin.  This recipe simply said to peel & slice the vegetable, cook in water till tender, then mash (which is the way I will prepare the e/burgers if I make them again).  Next, simply place layers of the eggplant and grated cheese into a greased casserole.  This looks and tastes delicious!

Finally, I prepared the stuffed special green peppers.  I say special, cause I’ve not seen these type before, they are not hot, and they are longer than the regular green bell pepper.  I have saved some seeds and will try and grow them next year.

So I mixed up quinoa/organic beef/garlic/rosemary and a few spices from the cupboard.  Then I cut the tops off of the peppers, ran a knife down one side and popped them all in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes.  Removed them from the pot, placed, cut side  up in a casserole dish.  Spooned the meat filling in each one.  Poured salsa sauce over it all and baked in the oven.  When done, after about 30 minutes, I sprinkled a liberal dose of crumbled mozzarella cheese on top.

Didn’t think I’d like these, but they remind me of lasagna, without the pasta calories.  Delish!

Finally, came the soup.  Why soup?  Well, I guess I had the freezer part of the fridge kinda overstuffed with my zealous supply of frozen fruits from the garden.  DH opened the freezer door and out onto the floor fell frozen bags of tomatoes, packets of meat, etc.  So I decided, instead of trying to make everything fit into that small space again, it was time to make soup!

And also, this is when the idea formulated inside my head .. to make the stuffed peppers!!

So I thawed out the tomatoes, put them in some chicken soup base in a pot.  Cooked it all.  Tried to remove the skin on the tomatoes, finally whipped out the hand blender and soon the soup was looking nice and rosy.  Next I grated one of those lovely potatoes from the garden, to try to thicken it up.  Added a little bit of garlic and rosemary.  Whipped in some sour cream .. and yum, delicious soup!

Lots of food at a very low price and our fridge is full!

Today I went for a drive in the country and obtained some lovely large plant pots … for potting up my recent sale purchases!   So happy am I!

I love driving through the local countryside .. such a beautiful time of the year .. lovely fall colours.   Beautiful farms … lots of work, though, I’ll bet.

Next I went to visit my friend D!   I was invited to try some of her borscht soup. Now, I’ve never tried borscht soup .. somehow the idea of having beets in soup has never appealed to me.  However, today I ventured forth and realized what I’ve been missing.  Now I want to try to make some.  Absolutely delicious.  And I understand the beets are full of good things too!  Oh, I’m learning so much now.

The borscht was served in lovely blue Period  Pyrex bowls … so pretty!  And these were placed on delicately painted dishes!   Did I mention the dollop of sour cream on top!  And D also make these terrific rice cake sandwiches!  She spread some grainy mustard & organic mayonnaise on the top.  Next there was large, flat nasturtium leaf!   Ok, I’ve never eaten a nasturtium leaf (or a flower) before, so this was another tasty treat!  On top of this was a lovely layer of baked salmon.

Now this was a gourmet lunch and very delicious.  Dessert was a decadent square of chocolate!

She is such a magnificent cook, and is always preparing lovely ingenious meals for her family!  I’m learning a lot from her and trying out some of the things I’ve learned at home!  Food is fun, especially this type of food.

After a lovely visit, spent talking non-stop about creative things for several hours, it was time for me to head home and go outside to play around in the garden.

Which I did!

Cause we are supposed to get lots of rain in the next few days!

🙂

 

 

 

 

 


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How Friday went .. in my garden

 

Saturday, September 22, 2012

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So Friday started out overcast .. but I could see the sun way up high, working hard to fight through the overcast layers and before long it had succeeded and the day turned out to be sunny.

And I enjoyed the look of one of my newly painted found objects.   A little plastic table, found on D’s and my little adventure day on Wednesday.  Transformed with some flat black spray paint .. now ready to be used somewhere in the garden.

A large plant pot, painted green with gold overtones .. I think I’ll add more green paint and will post a pic … then there is a metal filigree plant holder, painted black .. looks kind of cool and I’ll post a pic tomorrow of that.  One of those funky things that looks good in a garden.

Played around with my garlic crop .. separating them into baskets.  I saved the largest cloves for planting this year, in another month .. my gardening neighbour plants garlic mid-October and I’ll follow her lead.

Besides, right now there are some squash plants sprawling all over the area where I plan to grow the garlic and i want to give these plants some time to produce some squash!

Patience!

Then I sorted garlic to be given away .. and some to be sent to my sister .. oh, and some for me to use also!

A basket of garlic that hadn’t a covering on their cloves .. guess I dug them up too early .. more patience needed for next year, it seems.

Finally, a little basket of garlic seeds and one of those little yellow bulbets .. I’ll put some in pots and see if I can grow garlic greens for eating now!

I tried an experiment that I saw posted all over Pinterest, that of re-growing green onion greens.  It’s magic!  Day one, there were little new shoots and now, day three, they are growing  larger.

Now, today, I will separate them into two groups and in one jar I will add some EM .. just to see what the difference will be.

And I bought these green onions from a local greenhouse, so, no chemicals!!  Yeah.

So that was pretty much my gardening time yesterday .. and I plan to continue today.

Time to plant the Dragon kale that my gardening neighbour gave me …. this type turns blue in the sun and stays green in the shade.  Lovely, I say.  I’m really loving this kale and have fun just clipping away the lower leaves when I need some for a meal.  Fun in the garden.

Well .. time to go outside and plant those kale plants …  🙂

 


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Spending time decluttering and taking time to watch the birds.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

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Such a beautiful time of the year .. sun is still shining, veggies are still growing.  Birds are flying and playing.  A perfect time to continue decluttering, with some time out to just stop and watch what is going on.

I’ve recently been busy sorting out, decluttering and organizing various areas in the yard and quite impressed with my results.

Start out dreading the task I’ve undertaken … then I get totally involved with the decision making and before the end of the day, I’ve succeeded in weeding out what I need to keep and what needs to be sent along to recycle, donation, etc.

And so a few days ago I began this decluttering activity in my little wee garden room in the basement.

This is the place where I’ve put things “just for now” and “until later” .. well, later has arrived.

And I’ve discovered that I have way too many gardening gloves .. if that is possible.  I gathered up all the gloves, tossed them in a container and brought them outside for sorting.  Only found a few unmatched sets and ended up with a lot .. I didn’t actually count how many .. but believe me when I say that I have more than 20.  Too embarrassing to actually take a count, so I won’t!  Threw them all in the wash and dried them in the sun. Now, they are all in one container and I have absolutely no excuse for going shopping for more.

This is one good reason why decluttering is good.  When you can’t find something and buy more just to save time searching for things (say, um, gardening gloves) .. then it is high time for decluttering.

I set up a large work table just outside the back door.  And began the million trips of emptying shelves and baskets,  taking one or two things outside.  Putting them on the table.  Decision making.   Keep, recycle, discard .. one after the other.

Slow going.  I searched for tips on decluttering, as I was finding it challenging to muster up the energy to just get rid of everything.

I found some good inspiration.   that clutter is blocked energy.  Life doesn’t stand still.  Life is a flowing river.  It’s okay to change the course, it’s good to have it flow and bubble around rocks in its path.

I found these gems here:  http://eliminatecancer.hubpages.com/hub/Declutter-Your-Home-and-Re-energize-Your-Life

There were other inspirational sites that I found, but this one resonated with me.

So downstairs I went.   Back to my little room.   And I was discovering that the room was feeling better, more spacious.  Less clutter.

Soon I had a stack of empty baskets.  A huge Rubbermaid container full of things to give away, things I no longer use .. time for someone else to play with them.

I’m halfway finished.  Spent a lot of time moving things around.  Making progress.  Feeling more energized.

Unearthed some crafty projects, purchased years ago from a sewing convention.  A little kit for  beading, weaving ribbon, embroidery .. to make a little sewing needle case.  Well, really, why did I ever buy this?  Never in a million years will I ever tackle this little delicacy.  What was I thinking of, anyway.  Plus, the two extra packages of eyelash embroidery!!!

Took an old shelving unit outside, slapped on some neutral paint to freshen it up.   Today I’ll splash on some leftover lavender paint to brighten it up and then will use this for storing empty baskets on.  Something to brighten up my little room.

And in between times, lots of breaks .. taken outside.   Watched one of the local eagles soaring overhead.   Flocks (gaggles ??) of Canada Geese, flying so low overhead, I could hear the strong silky swoosh of their  wings as they flew over .. the late afternoon sun cast a mellow golden glow over their feathers.  Beautiful nature, wild and free.

The local little band of Bushtits swirl in .. chasing away the sparrows.  They are so darling as they flit about the branches.  Taking turns nibbling at the suet cakes.  Busy chirps.  Then suddenly they depart.  Love these energized little visitors.

Chickadees visit the hanging water bath that I’ve placed in the cherry tree.

Lovely sights and sounds.

Then I walk around the garden patch.  Squash are still growing … I’m impatient to prepare this area for planting garlic, but there is still time.  My gardening neighbour tells me not to plant till October 20 .. so I’ll leave them to grow another month.

Sweet peas are still flowering, fruiting, growing.  Ok, I’ll leave them also.  Some zucchini plants are still growing.  As are some tomato plants.  Sigh.  I’ll let them flourish in the sun for a few more weeks.  I’ve been picking some tomatoes and freezing them for future stews and lasagna in the fall months.  Mmmmm.

And yesterday, I was preparing supper, brought out a bowl of peas from the fridge .. I’d only picked them a few days ago, it seems.  And .. a lot of them are sprouting.  So I quickly searched growing peas in this part of Canada and lo and behold, there are a fair number of people who have successfully planted fall peas .. so I decided to try that!

Lovely times.


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Oh Kale plants, how I enjoy your presence in the garden, such an easy care plant! Along with my lovely garlic.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

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So here we are in September .. and I have another birthday looming up .. not for weeks yet.  I love birthdays .. another opportunity to celebrate!

The heat of the summer has been slowly winding down and now the days are shorter, darkness falls around 8 pm.   Gearing down for the fall .. lovely lazy days.  No more rushing around to plant veggies & flowers.  Time to relax and enjoy the beauty.

Yesterday my lovely gardening neighbour came over for a visit and to pick some of the plum bounty.  She laughed as she saw, once again, that I’d planted some tomatoes in the shadier parts of the yard.  She is teaching me some good gardening techniques that she has brought with her from the Russian Ukraine, so I’m slowly learning by experience.

The Kale plants that she’d given me (Tuscany, Dragon and a ruffled type) were all doing well and they would last me through the winter, she assured me .. and I could collect the seeds in the spring.  I quite like growing kale.   All I have to do is plant it, some water, some EM ..wait for a bit and then just clip the outer leaves.  My kind of easy care plant.

The cabbage plants that she’d given to me .. well, they were sun lovers, and as they are planted in the shade .. I’ll not expect much more than a few leaves from them.

She quite liked the way that the pumpkins were growing over the little arbour!   And I have one large pumpkin and a few smaller ones.

Of all the squash plants that are growing, I might be able to pick a few small fruits for cooking.

Oh .. next year .. just wait .. I’ll start my veggie plants earlier and I will carefully tend them during the cool spring months.  I promise that I will!

My very best crop, my absolute favourite .. is my garlic!  And I will plant them in mid-October (this is the best time, she advised me).

And the strawberry plants, that I’d placed in those lovely long oval tin planters, well, the soil isn’t deep enough for them .. so when the weather turns a bit damp, then I’ll be planting them in the side garden border, where they can develop longer roots.

I like the idea of growing vegetables, fruit and flowers together.  Pretty and practical.

Last weekend we went up-island for more sail planing .. and there we met the most wonderful pilot-in-training!  He is 86 and learning to fly!  He travels over 3 hours to reach the flying destination.  Wonderful person.   And to top it all off, he brews tea .. makes up a lovely pot of tea and shares!  How very decadent is this!   So we all enjoyed a hot brew in the morning sun.

I love meeting such interesting people who just go out and live life.

Oh and I meant to talk about Coombs, the famous place with the goats on the roof!  This time I didn’t take any photos of the little animals on the roof, they must have been inside a pen.  But I did take some pictures of a few of them grazing in their meadow.

How many times, over the years, have I stopped by the Coombs general store, parked the car, gone inside and shopped, and then left.  Too many.

This visit, however, DH & I decided to wander around to see what other businesses there were.  Oh ..wow .. another world appeared.

There was a little wooden structure, very picturesque and I think this was a cheese shop.  Then there was this most elegant of buildings that housed a pizza restaurant.  High scale .. reminded me of the many similar buildings that I saw in Europe, too many years ago.  There were the black iron filigree designs around the windows, the large Boxwood plants in tall planters and inside, I could see the draperies tied back to show tables all set and waiting for customers to dine.

And then we met Thor from Whistler .. his doggy daddy was happily taking photos of Thor at various locations & I took some photos of both of them.  We learned that friends always looked forward to Thor’s travels and his pics!

We discovered many more little shops and large parking areas.   All of this was always there and we wouldn’t have known, if we hadn’t just taken the time to walk around.

Well . .I could go on, but the morning is flying and I must go outside.

A lovely gardener has given me some plants .. ferns and grasses and I look forward to planting them in various areas around the yard.

Enjoy the day …..


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Oh my, not more perennial plants on sale???

Friday, August 24, 2012

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What a week this has been.   I’m almost embarrassed to recount that I found yet another perennial plant sale.  This one was at the local Sears mall, at Cannor Nursery.
I’d started my Thursday debating as to whether I should just go straight outside .. or dilly dally and go out into the world.  The local Toyota dealership had a special test drive day .. complete with sandwiches, deserts etc.

So I decided to go there first thing .. to enter my name in a draw for one of several prizes.  Walked around with a young sales guy and looked at a few trucks .. dreamed of how lovely it would be to have a nearly full sized truck, one I could use to load up on garden materials.

Years ago I did have a few trucks, they were quite handy .. and I seem to remember that I was quite often helping people out with moving, loading up on gardening materials etc.

After a nice chat I made my way to Sears .. for a little walk-around.  Big changes happening to that mall … and I looked at the huge buildings that were going to be installed there.   My main interest, though, was in the native plant garden plantings … too soon to see now …. later on I will take photos .. but not expecting it to be in place till next summer.   Lots of work to take place before that.

I just about made it to my car when I noticed the Sale sign at the garden center.  I’m weak, I know.  And soon my car was filled with even more lovely plants.  Included were some Rock Rose plants .. which grow to 3 – 4 ft in height and 6 to 8 ft in width!  And they don’t like to be transplanted, so I made sure that I placed them a decent space apart.  I plan to make cuttings for propagating in a week or so.

I love plant sales.

Then, back at home .. hard at work to mix soil & miracle mulch, plan where to install the plants and many happy hours situating my new perennials into just the right place.

And finally, this morning .. the moment I was waiting for .. the EM moment!  I mixed up over 5 litres of EM, into many large containers and then this mix into the watering cans.  Started at the front yard, then to the various front and side gardens.  This took hours, no kidding!

Then, on my energy roll, I finally tidied up the yard.  Sorted hundreds of plant pots into their various sizes.  Shovelled up the remaining Miracle Mulch into containers, this will go in the very back border next week.

Took down my work tables, neatly tucked away.  A final deep watering of all of the gardens.  A final watering of EM for the veggies & the basil.

And .. sigh of relief .. yard looks nice and tidy.  Room to breathe.   There are still veggies to gather.  Tomatoes to ripen.  Pumpkins to develop.

Special moment .. when a flock of Canada Geese flew overhead.  We are on the flight path to the local Nature Sanctuary .. so we see them quite often.  Lucky, I know.  I think that the Geese flying overhead are the very goslings that I saw in the spring.  Their Moms have taught them well, how to fare in the world.   Now .. is the time for them to fly.   They have earned my respect and I wish them well on their journey.

Well .. August is nearing the end.  And we are so lucky to have sunshine.  Even some cool weather would be welcome, for the sake of the plants and the grass.  And me!  🙂

Lovely days.

🙂


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The Flower Fairy visited the Cafe!

Friday, August 17, 2012

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Oh, plants are just so my passion, I cannot help it.  On Wednesday, I went out shopping for a few things, at the end of the day.  Found a great plant sale at a local supermarket and came home with a car full of perennials.

Well, guess what happened yesterday?  The exact same thing!  I went out shopping in the early morning .. found a great sale of colourful annuals and perennials.   Quite a few I selected for the little garden that I take care of at a cafe.  Time to add some slash of colour.

Then, I picked up some perennials that were in need of some love.  The salesperson was very helpful as she clipped away dead growth on a Tea Rose (my first ever!!!!)  and lo and behold, she discovered at least 20 new growth areas.  I’d only seen a few.  So this was a learning session for me.  She told me that removing the dead growth gives the plant more energy for new.

I am always learning about gardening, it is such a big world and love all the new items that I find.

So soon I was on my way home … car full of plants.   Mid-way home, I remembered those lovely perennial pots filled with sturdy plants, on for half price.   So, oh  my, I sought the next safe place to make a turnaround and then soon was on my way back to Home Depot.  Now, I normally don’t drive far out-of-town to buy plants, but, umm .. what could I do?  I’m under the spell of plants.

I chose a big shopping cart, marched into the store, shared a laugh with the sales clerk, put the two plant filled containers in the cart and then proceeded to head towards the area with bagged soil & manures.    I filled the remainder of the cart space with as much of these bags as I could, then slowly pushed the heavily laden cart towards the cashier.

So we had another long garden talk and then it was time to go to my car and with some creative moving around of plants, I was able to heft my most recent purchases into my little car.  And happily we chugged our way home.

Once at home, I removed all the plants, put them in containers with water to freshen them up.  Next I mixed up some bagged steer manure with some of my miracle mulch and filled 3 large Rubbermaid totes with this mix.

And then I gathered up all the things that I needed for my planting expedition at the cafe and soon was on my way.

It was a hot day.  And I was totally garbed in my anti-hornet attracting outfit: long-sleeved black shirt, black car-hearts and my trusty gumboots.  Whew.  To say that I was hot was an understatement.  However, that did not stop me for the next 3 1/2 hours to do my gardening.

I trundled my gardening supplies across the tarmac, over to the fenced patio, heaved them all over the fence and then got to work. First thing, tarp is spread on the flooring, materials & plants gathered to one side.  Then, I brought the poor, parched, dried out plant pots over to the work area.   It was a sad sight to see these, so I didn’t take any pictures.

One by one I emptied the containers of the hard, dried soil and replaced them with the refreshing new mix.   Then I arranged the plants as creatively as I could in the containers.  A thorough watering and an application to EM and they were finally looking full and happy.

I did take pictures of these and will post on my next blog.  They look a little sparse right now, but in a week or so, they will be flowering to beat the band.

As I gathered all my materials together to make a nice, tidy exit, I pondered on  my time spent there.   And anticipated the happy look on Dak’s face when he would open up the cafe this morning!  Surprises are great!  The Flower Fairy has visited!

Gardening, transforming, is so satisfying.  I know that all gardeners share this energy.  Positive, creative, satisfying!

At the end of the day, though, as I arrived back home and unloaded my car .. I realized that I did have a touch of heat stroke.  Which I haven’t experienced for years.  So I took care of myself and rested.  Realized, after I prepared supper that I wasn’t hungry, so out went that meal as I gave up trying to eat.  Rest was instinctive and so I did.  Feeling much better today.

Today, I will work in the shady areas of the garden.  Because .. I still have all those other plants to be dug into the side gardens.

Oh, happy days!


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I drew the winning ticket! However, it wasn’t for me!

Monday, August 13, 2012

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We went to a car event on the weekend .. many hundreds of classic and stock cars of all kinds.  I took lots of photos, only to find out later that I’d accidentally smudged some sunscreen on the lens … so although I love the photos, they all have that slightly blurry effect!  Sigh.

As we were parking, dh pointed out the Martin Mars water bomber that was flying overhead, so I scrambled to take a picture and was able to take a quick one!  What a magnificent plane this is!  Wonderful to see it flying .. just for fun!

Several times on that day, Sunday, we found ourselves stuck in a long line of traffic … so during the first wait, I looked outside the car window and rested my eyes on the calming greenery of a little wooded area .. it helped me avoid the “argh” feelings of being stuck in traffic.  And eventually … traffic inched along and soon all resumed speed.

Beautiful weekend.   Lots of lovely skies.   Many birds sighted.  People in a holiday mood.

At the end of our day at the car event, we were on our way out and gave in to the volunteers selling 50/50 tickets and bought ourselves a strip of them.  We waited around to see if we would be the lucky winners.  The volunteers were busy tearing up the perforated tickets and mixing them up very well.  One of them called over to me and asked me to draw the winning ticket!  So, facing away from the large ticket container, I swirled my hand around through the tickets .. which one shall I choose?  Finally I plucked one up and handed it over to the gentleman in charge.

Woe, it wasn’t one of our numbers.  However, the money is going to a very good cause, so we are happy about that.

As we left the area, we could hear the announcer telling everyone the lucky number!  And I felt happy that somehow I was able to be a part of the connection in the outcome of the lucky winner!

It was wonderful being away and doing something very different from our everyday lives … on a sunny Sunday!

Today I spent some happy time in the garden . .visiting with my good friend D.  We spent hours and hours talking about creative things.   Good energy.

I happily showed her the changes in my garden since her last visit.  She has grown vegetables for years and so I ask question after question.   And get the answers that I add to my growing veggie gardening information bank.  I’ve really only started growing veggies last year .. so every year I get a little better.  Still haven’t tackled the whole tomato pruning thing yet.  Lots to learn yet.

Here it is, nearly mid-August .. we’ve really only had full hot summer since the beginning of July.  I feel as if I “should” be farther along in my gardening than I am.

There are half-finished projects here and there.  I have been successful in some things and have cleared away hundreds of gardening pots to give away. And washed (in the same water, so as not to waste) plastic bags that once held soil or manure.  Dried them in the sun and they are ready to take to the recycler.

Slowly, slowly, the hundreds of chores that I have listed in my mental “to do” list are getting done, a few at a time.

Recently, I’ve devoted many hours .. a whole day even .. to completing little jobs.  Like, one section of the front yard .. weeding, pruning, mulching.  Another involved one side garden .. that I am so happy with.  There are more to do.   And although I know that gardening will never be finished …I am truly enjoying the journey!

And tomorrow, I plan to get up real early and start again.

It is so tempting to just run outside in the morning, but, there are litters to be cleaned, floors to be swept, little daily household chores.  Better to be done with them first thing in the morning and then I don’t have to think about them till the next day.

It’s been a day!  Another great one, of course!

🙂


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Another day in the garden, moving plants, creating space, watching plants grow

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

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So yesterday, Tuesday, was quite a hot and sunny day!   I really made a lot of progress in the yard.  And later, stuffed my little Echo car to the maximum with 3 large garden bags, the paper kind .. stuffed to the gills with cuttings.

I even had two of them in the passenger seat, I love to use every bit of space in my car.  Then, in the back (I have the hatchback version) I stowed one more garden bag, full to the brim, plus 4 large Rubbermaid totes and 4 smaller ones.    I can really pack things into my little car … it is a wonderful vehicle.   Holds almost as much as a small truck.

I love using the car for a garden vehicle, tarps lining the interior, then when all the garden waste is taken to the Saanich yard for composting, I neatly pack everything away and all is back to normal, kind of nice and tidy.

Oh, how I love the spaciousness of the side yard now … and so will work on adding some hardy perennials in the foreground .. and leave lots of space for the cedars to fill out and grow tall.  they are nearly to the top of the fence and with the magical EM mixture, it won’t take them long to grow even higher.

I see that there are a few cedars that will need to be dug up and moved over a little bit.  Plus one Bay tree that will have to be moved, so that it will have lots of space to grow and fill out.

Oh, gardening is so much fun.  Always changes to be done.  Plants to move around.  Trimming to be done.

I find that sometimes I work hard for hours, without stopping and other times are just perfect for dreaming away, planning changes.   A balance it seems.

So yesterday I found myself being swept away in tidying up .. we’ve recently (I use the Royal “we” .. when really I mean DH, ha ha ha) installed new fence panels at one side of the yard .. and so there are lots of old fence boards that need to be sorted and piled up, ready to be reinstalled around the panels of the 3 remaining sides of the fence.

I have no idea how I started that chore, but start I did and spent a few hours sorting, piling, tidying, sweeping .. quite impressive, really.  I am so full of surprises.

Yesterday was a lovely day .. so I’ve posted some pictures taken on Monday.  Showing the “gently shoved aside by the giant Buddleia” cedars.  And the open spaces behind and in front of the cedars.  I’ll post pics in a month and I can only wonder at the growth that will take place as a result of the EM  .. which I definitely will apply tomorrow.

The plentiful raspberry plants are now resting quietly in a large garden pot … I’ve decided to keep them and to establish a few more garden beds.  Fresh raspberries are just plain fun to have in the yard.  Plus, they add lots of greenery.

Oh, it’s been a fun few days in the garden and tomorrow I  plan to start the day in the garden very early and to finish planting the potted plants.  Including Rosemary and Lavender.

Plus, you know, time to relax and study the lay of the land. Dream. Watch the birds.

🙂


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Playing in the garden, making headway in decluttering. Continuing to watch the aerial art of clouds.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

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Wednesday was a treat, sunny from the start .. beautiful skies .. more interesting cloud formations.

Really made headway with sorting out my plant pots and have filled 5 large plastic bags with them, ready to give away.  More space for creative things.  I’ve decided that I don’t need to store hundreds of small, medium and large pots for future plantings.   The pots always seem to come into the yard, so no worries there.

Spent some time just moving things around the yard .. closer to the gate for recycling, composting, etc.

Observed Duncan cat sitting motionless at the edge of the side garden .. watching for some rodent or other to appear.  He glances over to me and then back to focusing on his target.  Seems I’m accepted now in his daily world .. he no longer runs away.   The trust is happening and that feels good.

I can hear the tiny chirps of the Bushtits, but they are so tiny that I don’t easily see them among the branches.

My little scotch moss plants have not thrived well .. that is, some of them have and some of them havent.  I’ve watered them, given them EM, but only a few tiny touches of the bright green foliage is seen.  So I decide to plant them, maybe the earth around their roots will entice them to grow.

I’ve been digging a circular area around the cherry tree … over the years the roots have grown up to the soil  in two places and I’m tired of tripping on them .. so I’ve decided to make a little area of plantings, a sort of canopied situation, if you will.

Yesterday, on my hands and knees, digging away with hand tools, forming a circular area, narrow trench, placed the Scottish (and one Irish!) mosses around the circle.  Feeling sad that I’ve let these plants down by not planting them right away.  Then . .my gaze moves to the lovely long tin planters that I’ve recently received from friends.   There are some very healthy Scottish mosses growing abundantly in them, I’d planted them about a month ago.

Ding!  Idea!  I’ll transplant these mosses into the circle edge and then .. ta da .. I’ll put some strawberry plants into the planters.  I love it when ideas click!  So that’s my first chore outside today.

then, some sweet woodruff .. this low-growing ground cover is a lovely plant and the whorled leaves, dried, have a vanilla scent that is reputed to repel moths.  If I were a moth would I like the scent?

The Kentucky Wonder Beans are living up to their name.  Recently planted from sprouted seeds, they seem to grow quite rapidly.  I’ve been taking pictures of their progress.  Ok, I wouldn’t make a very business like farmer . .I spend way too much time taking photos of plants in the yard.  Well . .I do have fun, though.

The skies continue to offer the most interesting cloud formations .. quite beautiful and relaxing to look at this aerial art.

Also spent some time digging a pathway in the newly created garden (spoiled hay, alpaca &  goat manure,  leaf mulch, compost).  Decided to a) remove a narrow pathway amidst this growing area so that b) I could toss some of the soil beneath the cherry tree!  This involved moving some of the kale plants .. and I discover that this large leafy plants thrive on a very small rootstock!

I’ve recently planted some squash and zucchini plants here and look forward to the long lazy growth of the plants.

This area gets the full morning and late afternoon soon .. I’ve been watching this place for days.  Good area to grow.

The raspberries are becoming pink, the blueberries are staying green ..but we were able to harvest a few strawberries.  The cherries are ripest at the top, of course, where the sun hits them.  The birds feast on these as we don’t have a ladder long enough.  We’ll enjoy the cherries on the lower branches.  As I was raking up the ground around the cherry tree .. I was picking up the fallen fruit .. enough to fill a large plant pot .. wah!!

Onwards with this day .. moss to transplant, strawberries too!  More digging, more plantings, skies to watch, birds to see.

🙂


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Mother Nature has been taking care of watering the gardens .. thank you very much.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

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Saturday .. what a day .. windy, blustery … rainy  .. and then the sun did come out, later on in the day.  A sweet promise of what will  happen on Sunday.

So I really wanted to play outside, but decided to save that treat for another day.

Looked outside at the trees, branches waving away in the winds … glad that we planted so many  here .. years ago.  Knowing that the birds have many places to take cover in rough weather.   Places to nest … unseen by human eyes.  I respect their privacy.  Although I would love to see their little homes . .I leave them be.

Happy that Mother Nature is watering the gardens thoroughly . .no worries about dry soil for the plants.   Oh, this will be good for everything, the berries, the garlic .. the fruit trees.  And the grass .. another opportunity for me to use my newest garden tool .. the push mower.

And I must empty the Rubbermaid containers .. that are full of seaweed.    So they can begin to enrich the plants with their mineral laden goodness.

So I didn’t take any pics on Saturday and am posting some of sunnier days:   Including some pics when my pal D & I visited the beaches of Sooke.  Slowed down when we saw a young deer standing, transfixed, by the side of the road.

Then, later, we’d been busy gathering seaweed and were surprised to see deer prints, freshly made.   It had been around our area and hadn’t made a sound!

Visited the beautiful Point No Point for the most delicious chicken soup, homemade bread and tea.  Drank delicious water, untainted by chlorine ..  Looked out the windows at the magnificent ocean vista.  Priceless.  What a lovely place .. it’s been years since I’ve been here and I vow to return again.

Wandered the magnificent property.  Walked the lovely red bridge .. a truly beautiful place to be.

Glad I took pics .. lovely memories of nature.

Well . on with this new day.  Some gardening, you say?  Of course!  At Dakota Cafe!

Laters!

A.M.